Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony; Friendship is Magic!
Title: Try a Mine, Try a Tree
Summary: Limestone Pie and Big Mac find themselves swapping friendly letters about the wonders of being the only dedicated farmers in the family while simultaneously trying to struggle through change.
...
In her dream, Limestone is a filly again, staring dejectedly out the window of her parent's cabin. Rain slathers the land mercilessly, making tiny rivers and streams. The flat environment doesn't support the weather well, leading to run-off that even this young she knows will hinder production.
She glances at her flank sourly. She'd hoped she'd earn her cutie mark that morning, as she was finally old enough to accompany her father and mother into the mines, but they wouldn't risk her safety like that.
Lightening flashes across the darkened sky, and that's when she knows it's too dangerous to even attempt any mining that day. On the flat landscape, ponies tended to be on the taller side, only crested by Holder's Boulder and that one twisty tree that's so dead it can't even be used as effective firewood. The cabin is the only safe place on a day like today.
She growled, restlessness picking at her. Limestone preferred to keep on the move. It felt like everything in their home was easily breakable, and the thought of provoking the ire of her father plucked at her heartstrings. She never wanted Pa to feel disappointed in her.
Something pulls on her tail with a whimper. Limestone quietly moved away from the window, yellow-green eyes locking on the pitiful form of her sister.
Marble was her size, and around the same color of grey, but the way she held herself fooled the eye into making her seem tiny. Her mane was long enough she practically used it as a cape, legs a jumbled mess of fear and insecurity.
"Oh, alright." Limestone sighed, gently nudging her shoulder with her head. "Let's go back upstairs."
Marble whimpered again and nodded, keeping hesitant pace beside her. Limestone didn't blame her for being leery of the storm, although it was odd that she went to her rather than Ma and Pa every time it started to thunder. Maybe she just wasn't brave enough.
There's a cut in the narrative, and now they're curled up under the blankets. Judging by the flower drawings on the wall, it's Marble's room. Limestone's was bare, save for that hole she once made after slamming a hoof too hard against the wall.
That wasn't to mean Limestone didn't have interests, or even a wish to make the room her own. Simply that she was too busy for it. The rock farm didn't run itself, after all, and she made sure to stretch her little body as far as it could go to help keep it running.
No one asked her to, but they also kinda did, you know? Ma and Pa wouldn't be around for forever, and none of her sisters seemed interested in taking over. She was caught in a perpetual rut.
(Maud likes rocks. She doesn't like math. Good luck getting her to balance funds.)
A filly with no mark, Limestone already knew her future, and had begun to make an effort to accept it. The Pie family had been mining rocks for decades. She's next in line. Get over it.
Of course, those thoughts aren't on Limestone's mind that night. More of a memory than a dream, the filly irritably stares at the wall, sister firmly planted against her side. A flit of lightening, a whine. Marble's face is buried in her hooves.
The door quietly squeaks open. Maud steadily trots inside, followed by Pinkamena. They both look like their normal selves, for that age; Maud is solid and a little blank, Pinkamena is sad and reluctantly slinks behind the crowd.
You're Pinkie Pie, she wants to yell, this isn't you. You're gonna poof up and practically sprint out the door one day. Don't look so unhappy.
"I hope Boulder will be alright." Maud says, sliding up on Limestone's other side. "I left him out last night for some fresh air."
"He'll be fine." She brushed it off. "It'll be like getting a long drink of water."
"Boulder doesn't get thirsty. He's a rock."
"Then what's the big deal?"
"I put him a crevice. He should be alright, so long as he doesn't wash away."
"Mmhm." Marble puts in.
"Thanks. That makes me feel a bit better."
Pinkamena pulled herself up last, sprawling across their three backs with a bored sigh. They all let out a little "ouf", but even then their sister was weird for a Pie, so they expect and allow it.
Limestone puts her head on her hooves and pulls closer, feeling incredibly squished. "I'm taking a nap."
Pinkamena mumbled into Marble's fur.
"You can stay up there if you want." Maud assures her. "We won't be moving any time soon."
Limestone blearily blinks open her yellow-green eyes, feeling like she was being pulled out of a fog. She sat up, letting her blankets drag behind her as she crawled off the mattress. The quiet splash of raindrops outside revealed the source of her nostalgia.
Her dreams had always been vivid, but also always bland. There was nothing creative about them- just little snatches of memories. It really didn't shock her that she dreamed about rain during the rain.
Limestone still lived on the Pie property, with her own little two-story she shared with Marble. It was quiet, quaint, and a little less breakable than the family home. Honestly, she didn't quite know why her sister hadn't moved out by now. That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy her presence, merely that the mare had nothing keeping her here. If it were a matter of missing family by her side, Pinkie would take her in a heartbeat. She had nothing to gain or lose by mumbling as she edged about the farm.
She had the sneaking suspicion the mare was trying to take care of her. The notion made her stomp down the stairs harder than normal. The farm needed care. Ma and Pa needed care. She didn't need care.
It was for the best that Marble wasn't in the kitchen when Limestone shoved her nose in. She might've snarled otherwise. The earth pony got to work, making herself a meal out of leftover salad and muffins. She eyed the storm outside; it was just beginning, and looked to peter out towards noon.
Cursing under her breath, she hopped up the stairs again to call through the door. "Sis?"
Quiet murmuring.
"I gotta go grab the equipment real quick. I left the picks out."
More murmuring, this time more panicked.
"Urgh." She snapped. "They'll rust if I don't take care of 'em, Marble. You know that. It'll just take a second. There's veggies in the fridge."
Limestone grimaced as she opened and closed the door behind her. The rock farm is a flat place, so it was a straight shot, but puddles and rivers of water made it treacherous. Mudslides weren't uncommon, and sometimes the rocks would roll on the slippery surface. Still, the wet on the ground looked fresh, and she was only beaten in speed and agility by Maud. Plucking up her courage, she set a brisk pace, mane sticking to her eyes as her hooves thudded across the way.
Water was pouring into the entrance of the mines, and Limestone shuddered at the thought of going down there at a time like this. She grabbed the two picks with some difficulty, the taste of dirt on her tongue, then she kept right on moving, heading for Ma and Pa's place. it was the closest, and the only one with a shed nearby.
Limestone felt guilty as she shut the shed door, sparing the house a glance. It was okay to wait until the rain stopped to drop by, right? She'd hate to track her muddy hooves on the floor. Ma and Pa had enough to deal with as is.
She headed back, dirt squishing under her hooves. She could see home from a distance, as well as a flash of gray standing on the porch, front door ajar. She squinted, feeling shock pulse through her. What was Marble doing? She hated rain.
But the mare pushed into the drizzle with only a mildly ear-ripping cry, coming up beside her with a concerned squawk. Bemused, Limestone allowed herself to be led inside, kicking the door shut. It left a streak of mud. "Whoops. Sorry."
"Mmhm." Marble agreed, but was pushing her towards the bathroom. Limestone didn't know she could be so forceful.
"Oh, calm down. You make it sound like I'm dying." She forcefully stood her ground, ears tilting back. "We've done worse work in the middle of a storm."
Marble shoved her. Limestone complained but went into the bathroom nonetheless. She grumpily drew herself some water and slipped into the tub.
Deep down, Limestone felt embarrassed. She'd forgotten the tools in the field. Rather, she'd been too lazy to pick them up. She hadn't even said good morning to her parents, and now Marble felt the need to chaperone her. Marble. The mare who could barely speak in grunts and affirming noises due to her shyness. Was she slipping, or was the added pressure starting to take its toll on her?
No. She shook that thought- and the clinging water- away. Stress was no excuse for making simple mistakes.
A quick roll on the towels rendered her damp but no longer soaked, and Limestone slunk back up to her room. She was in no mood for company, especially with her coat soggy.
She shut the door with a sigh. Just as when she was a filly, the room was bare. Only a bed, a desk, and a group of cabinets for band-aids and winter gear should the cold get bad enough. The upstairs window is covered by drapes, but there's enough light to see.
She threw her mane towel onto the bed, snatching a glance at her desk. An unopened letter lay front and center.
"Ponyfeathers." She growled, feeling even worse. She'd collected the mail a few days ago, finding the note waiting for Marble inside. They'd been so busy she figured she'd bring it up over dinner, and it had totally slipped her mind.
Stupid Apple family. As if she didn't have enough to do as is.
Still. It was only polite she apologize, or at least explain the reason it was late. Marble would be heartbroken if her carelessness got her yelled at. It also gave her something to do while she dried.
Limestone sat down, grabbed a quill in her teeth, and began the long, slow process that was writing. There should be a way to bewitch quills so they could talk out what they wanted to write- and maybe there was, but she didn't get out enough to know.
Late 'cause I forgot. Work got in the way. You know how it is.
-Lime.
Author's Note: Basically I thought these two could be awesome farmer bros. Also- it's oddly refreshing to write a character like Limestone. My only multi-chapter MLP story is far more restrained, as the characters one front and center, whereas Limestone is more open and slapdash. It's nice.
-Mandaree1